So your on your way in to a morning stand during the rut. Totally dark, an hour before first light. Your within 50 yards of your stand and you hear deer comming so you lie down. They get within 20 yards and bust, run off while blowing. My question is would you guys still head to your stand and hunt it since it is the rut and anything can happen? Would you opt to back out and hit another stand after light? What are your guys thoughts

Hunt. Its the rut, you never know what will happen. It's not like your hunting deer in a "normal" pattern early in the season. Once the bucks start chasing, there isn't any rhyme or reason to a bucks, or does, pattern. I've had deer blow at me walking in, hear them run away, and then come back 20 minutes later completely oblivious.

I'd be a little more concerned if they made you in the stand after daylight. If its an older doe that sees you, you may have problems. I don't worry about bucks much, they have pretty short memories (unless they're with a doe that makes you).

Take it or leave it. I am not a deer expert or biologist, but I have found a few techniques after being in the woods a ton and personal experiences.

During the rut when walking in to my stands, that are a little more remote and "louder" to get into, I take my grunt call and about every 5 or so steps give out a light grunt. I have had deer standing 20 yards as I walked past them and not "spook".

Its in their nature to freeze if they cannot identify what is in their area. For the deer in my area, they use sound verification (stomping, the tempo of the walk etc.) along with visual and scent. They are still a naturally curious animal and will undoubtedly remain still until they can identify if there is actually a threat.

I still cant wait for the day I do the grunt technique and come face to face with a buck who is ready to fight. I know one day it will come and I won't be ready!

__________________Team 4- Red Mist Captain 2011-2012

Raise your glass to one who got away, for next year we raise him in the garage...

Go on to your stand,settle in and wait for the lights to come on. I had one blow 10 minutes after I got settled in but she had no idea were I was at just caught a little of my sent on a windy day. I had a Buck grunting on a ridge above me 30 minutes after the Doe blew and even though he did not show himself he was not far from me. The wind that day blew my scent where I hoped it would not so it was a hunt cut short but not ruined by the Doe.

Thanks for the info fellas, that is about what I thought. In my case the deer did not smell me, they just got to 20 yards and saw a blob in the cut bean field and got nervous. They did their head bobbin for a few seconds then busted. I think they more or less just didnt know what was going on rather than associating the blob with a human threat.

Thanks for the info fellas, that is about what I thought. In my case the deer did not smell me, they just got to 20 yards and saw a blob in the cut bean field and got nervous. They did their head bobbin for a few seconds then busted. I think they more or less just didnt know what was going on rather than associating the blob with a human threat.

I can't count how many times I have seen guys hunting who get busted by them darn mature Does,they run off making a fuss only to have a Buck come through a short time later and get wacked by the same guys in the same tree. It's a crap shoot it seems to me, so I stay put rather than reinforcing their fears by making my pressence obvious. Good luck next time in.

Great post. I am going to hunt one of my new spots tomorrow morning for the first time versus the typical evening hunts I've done a few times there during early season. It's 28 degrees tomorrow morning according to Weather.com and the rut's starting to kick in here. Only problem is I essentially have to walk about 1/4 to a 1/2mile along the edge of a cut corn field to get to my blind at the pinch point between a bedding area, big woods and two cut corn fields. I was debating about the noise I might make but I figure if I head in an hour before first light and move as fast as I can, I'll just plop down and see what happens. Gotta learn that somehow versus wondering. Good luck guys!